Mardell Rae Bair

After 87 years, Mardell Rae (Deney) Bair’s beautiful and graceful walk with us ended Tuesday, April 21st, 2015 in Cibolo, Texas. Her life, her spirit, and guiding hands of strength were exemplary. Mardell was born February 22, 1928 in Helena, Montana to her parents Daniel Rae Deney and Mary Anne (Corbesia) Deney. She was born with a heart defect and struggled with it until at age 19. She was the 6th person in the US to undergo open heart surgery. She was her father's tomboy and was raised in Faribault, Minnesota.

Her love was for art, the outdoors, a good book, and she especially loved a good rhubarb apple pie. Mardell could warm your heart with a touch, or a look from her eyes that always twinkled. Her life was blessed with second chances. She married and loved two military men, brothers, after losing her first husband Robert Bair, God put her together with his younger brother John (Jack) E. Bair, they were married for 48 years. They saw the world together as a military couple, living in Portland, Istanbul, Fairbanks, Colorado Springs, Huntington Beach; and she would have loved to have seen Switzerland. She and Jack finally settled in Ashland, Oregon.

She rejoins her husband, Jack Bair; her sons, Daniel Bair and Jason E. Bair; sisters, Luanna Bauer and Micki Deney in Heaven. A devoted wife, mother and grandmother, she is survived by her daughter, LeaAnn Pyne and her husband Kevin; her son, John T. Bair and his wife Amy; step daughter, Genie Jones and her husband Mike; daughter in law, Dawn Bair. Known as Grandma Texas, she will always be in the hearts of her grandchildren: Heather Bair, Heidi Koziczkowski, Shaun Bair, Aja Bair, Sky Bair, Forest Bair, Erik Bair, Chloe Pyne, and Cecilia, Jake and Nathan Bair; her great-grandchildren: Winter, Starla, Angela, River, Katarina and Alexandra Bair; her dear sister Donna. If you knew her, you would imagine the hummingbirds and her roses. Paint the sky with your love. Memorial Mass will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, May 16th, at Saint Marks Roman Catholic Church, Buffalo, NY. She will be inurned with her late husband Jack at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery. A reception will be held at the Burchfield Penney Arts immediately following the memorial mass.